Unai Emery ‘hard at work’ to convince next Yaya Toure to join Aston Villa
Aston Villa and Unai Emery are vying to secure Champions League football for the second consecutive season.
The West Midlands giants have enjoyed a largely successful campaign so far, reaching the Champions League quarter-finals and FA Cup semi-finals.
But the Villa Park outfit were knocked out of Europe by PSG, before losing 3-0 to Crystal Palace at Wembley on 26 April.
Emery’s men will look to bolster their ranks in the summer transfer window, as Villa push to win silverware for the first time since their League Cup triumph in 1996.
Villa push to sign Lorient star Arthur Avom
The success of Villa’s summer transfer window could be determined by whether winter loan signings Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford stay in the West Midlands permanently.
Meanwhile, according to The Sun (30 April), Emery’s men, as well as West Ham and Chelsea, have sent scouts to keep tabs on Lorient star Arthur Avom.
| Arthur Avom stats | Ligue 2 2024/25 |
| Appearances | 30 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Assists | 3 |
The report adds that the West Midlands side are working hard to convince the 20-year-old to join them, and he has been compared to former Manchester City star Yaya Toure.
Emery is said to have personally pushed to convince the midfielder to join.
Avom has helped Lorient clinch promotion from French Ligue 2 to Ligue 1, but his contract is up this summer, and he is in no rush to sign an extension.
The Cameroon international is keen to listen to all offers made to him in the transfer window before deciding on his future.
Villa must get back to winning ways in Premier League
Emery’s men were left bitterly disappointed by their FA Cup semi-final exit, and failed to make a good account of themselves at Wembley as they were well beaten by Palace.
Meanwhile, Villa lost momentum in their hunt for Champions League football when they were beaten 2-1 by Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on 22 April.
Emery’s men currently sit three points adrift of an all-important top-five spot, while fifth place is currently occupied by Chelsea, who are said to lead the race for Avom.
With just four games remaining in the Premier League, Villa must get themselves back to winning ways when they host Fulham on Saturday to get their Champions League push back on track.
Emery’s men then travel to Bournemouth on 10 May, before facing Tottenham and Manchester United to conclude their campaign.
The West Midlands side should fancy themselves to beat both Spurs and the Red Devils, who have had poor Premier League seasons despite their strong runs in the Europa League.